Knockout
by badly-knitted
Summary: A nurse gets the wrong idea while patching Ryo up after an accident. Written for Challenge 238: Knock at fan flashworks. Set after Vol. 7.


**Title:** Knockout

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ryo, Dee, OFC.

**Rating:** PG

**Setting:** After Vol. 7.

**Summary:** A nurse gets the wrong idea while patching Ryo up after an accident.

**Word Count:** 1180

**Content Notes:** None needed.

**Written For: **Challenge 238: Knock at fan_flashworks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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Although he had been when he'd gotten out of bed that morning, Ryo wasn't in a particularly good mood; this wasn't at all the way his and Dee's day off was supposed to go. He was sitting in one of the curtained-off treatment areas while a nurse cleaned and put stitches in a nasty gash just above his left eye. Aside from the cut he also had a black eye and a lump on his head, but his left wrist, which Dee had thought might be broken, was thankfully just badly sprained. Still, Ryo felt like a complete idiot. All it had taken was one moment of inattention and instead of a pleasant day out with Dee, he'd been stuck in the ER half the morning already, waiting to be patched up.

"So how did this happen?" the nurse asked him casually as she tied off the first stitch.

Ryo blushed faintly and directed is gaze downwards without moving his head. He didn't really want to admit what had happened but was unable to find any way to make the accident sound less stupid than it had been. "I fell down some steps, but it was my own fault; I should've been paying more attention to where I was going."

Despite briefly getting knocked unconscious he'd somehow avoided a concussion; he must have only taken a glancing blow to his head and the pain rather than the impact itself had caused him to black out. Whatever. It didn't make him feel any better about his stupidity, letting himself get distracted like that. He was a cop; he was supposed to know better. Getting injured again was the last thing he'd needed what with his ribs still being sore from taking down a suspect a few days previously. His split lip was just about healed though, so at least he could eat almost normally now. Not content with swinging a baseball bat at him, the perp had head-butted Ryo in the mouth while he'd been cuffing him.

"You know," the nurse said quietly, "you don't have to put up with this. There are organisations that can help you."

Ryo started to frown but quickly stopped, wincing; frowning was a bad idea considering where he was being stitched up. Still, the nurse's comment baffled him. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand…"

"We see this kind of thing all the time, and you shouldn't blame yourself. No matter what your boyfriend might tell you, this isn't your fault. There's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't have to stay with him. You could leave."

Completely confused now, Ryo pulled back and peered at the young woman out of his good eye. "Leave? Why would I want to do that?"

"Look, it's obvious you have other injuries that are still healing, and now this latest batch. If your boyfriend is knocking you around…" She never got a chance to finish what she was saying because Ryo burst out laughing; he couldn't help it, the idea that Dee was responsible for any of his injuries was just too absurd; he practically fell over himself apologising if he so much as accidentally stepped on Ryo's foot!

Dee, who'd been hovering impatiently outside the treatment area, poked his head in through the curtain. "Ryo? You okay babe?"

"Ow! Ow! No! God it hurts to laugh!" Ryo was doubled over clutching his sore ribs with his bandaged arm.

The nurse was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind so Dee came the rest of the way into the treatment area, hovering protectively over his lover and glaring at her. "What did you do to him?"

Trying to catch his breath, Ryo gasped out, "It's okay, Dee, really it is, just a misunderstanding." He tried to wipe away tears of laughter with the back of one hand and winced again, this time at the pain from the bruise around his eye. "The nurse thinks I'm a battered boyfriend!"

"She WHAT?" Dee was incensed. "She thinks I did this to you? I'd never…"

"I know you wouldn't, but I guess it does look suspicious, especially when added to my ribs and split lip…" Straightening up a bit, still clutching his ribs, Ryo looked at the nurse. "I got those a few days ago from a suspect who didn't want to come quietly. I'm a cop."

"Oh, I didn't know that. But these other injuries…"

"Are mostly my own fault, but maybe Dee's a little bit to blame."

"Hey!" Dee turned his indignation on his lover. "What're you talkin' about? How is any of this my fault?"

Ryo blushed. "You're wearing those jeans again."

Dee looked down at himself and slowly broke into a wide grin. "You mean you fell down those steps because you were too busy starin' at my ass to watch where you were goin'?"

Cheeks flaming, Ryo looked anywhere but at Dee. "I can't help it! You know the effect those jeans have on me! They're so tight, and they fit so perfectly, they should come with a health warning!"

"I guess I should take some of the blame then. I mean, I know what you're like when you're focused on somethin'," Dee chuckled. "You don't see what's right in front of ya."

"I'm not that bad!"

"Says the guy who walked smack into a door week before last," Dee teased.

"That wasn't my fault! It shut just as I got to it!"

"As I recall you had you nose buried in a file, otherwise you might've seen it closin'."

"At least I didn't get a doorknob in the eye while trying to look through a keyhole!" Ryo shot back. He wasn't the only one who'd paid the price for doing something dumb; Dee was just as bad!

Dee gave a careless shrug. "Police work is dangerous. Could've happened to anyone." He turned to the nurse again. "For the record, I do not hit my boyfriend, never have, never would."

"It's true," Ryo agreed. "Except for that one time he accidentally smacked me in the mouth. I tripped and he tried to catch me."

Remembering that incident it was Dee's turn to wince. "Yeah, as heroic rescues go, that one could'a gone better."

"It wasn't intentional; accidents happen," Ryo told his lover, giving the nurse a wry smile as she went back to work stitching him up.

"They do, but from now on when I wear these jeans maybe I should avoid walkin' in front of ya. I never realised my ass could be so dangerous." Dee turned around, trying to look over his shoulder at his own behind.

Momentarily distracted by the sight, the nurse almost poked Ryo in the eye. "Oops! Sorry." She quickly dragged her attention back where it belonged. "I see what you mean though; he really works those jeans."

"It's like they were made to measure," Ryo agreed, eyes once again locked onto his partner's behind. He hoped he wasn't drooling.

Dee winked. "Guess you could say I'm a knockout in 'em!"

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The End


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